Norsemen 1 - 0 Alexandra Parkand Norsemen 2 - 1 Alexandra Park In what was a massive day for the Blues two's, 6 points were won to bounce them up the table to the lofty heights of 8th place. With only 5 matches to play the recent run of form, a 4 match winning run, has all but secured division 2 status for next year.In what has become a pattern recently, Norsemen began the game on the back foot absorbing pressure while struggling to get any fluidity into their own game. Having fought their way into the match they went into half time on the front foot having created a chance or two of their own.Not long had passed in the second half when Larry Laniyan broke the deadlock. Jerome Johnson played a defence splitting pass to give Laniyan what should have been a one on one with the goal keeper. However Laniyan, while chasing down the ball, pulled a hamstring and was caught by a defender. Composed as ever (did I just write that?), Laniyan cut back inside and fired past the keeper before squealing like a girl and rolling around on the floor. 1 nil to the Norse and the end of Laniyan's afternoon. AP threw everything at Norsemen but were unable to reply so it was Norsemen who celebrated a further 3 points at the half way mark of the day. On to game two. Having lost the first game, most were expecting AP to come out firing in the second match, but it was Norsemen who running downhill made the brighter start. Few clear cut chances were created until a move which started on the left side deep in the AP half, moved back to the defenders and across to the right hand side, before being controlled on the chest of debutant Adam Moss who volleyed home to give Norsemen the lead. An exceptional individual goal which followed one of the best team movements of the season.Turning with the lead the half time talk was about keeping the basics going - communication and defensive discipline. All very well and good but when your legs are fading its very hard to get goal side and continue to give good information to each other. Fatigue had well and truly set in when with 10 minutes to go AP levelled, there only seemed to one potential winner in this match and it wasn't Norsemen! A sour point of the day occurred when Tom Collier was cynically taking out in a two footed challenge that could, and possibly should, have seen the AP player see red. Yellow was shown and Collier was thankfully able to hobble on.

It was a good thing he did, as with only a few minutes to play Collier watched a JJ punt down over his shoulder, onto the outside of his foot, bringing it down into stride before laying off for Johnson to strike home the winner.

The remaining few minutes came and went without incident and the Blues Two's were victorious. 6 points won and spirits at a season high. The challenge now is to see off Old Stationers next week and potentially set the sights on a top half finish...? An unthinkable thought only a few weeks ago when at the foot of the table!

Norsemen moved off the bottom of the table and out of the relegation zone for the first time in months this weekend with an away win 3 1 away at Old Esthameians. After a debacle involving the referee adding a name to the Esthameians team sheet after kick off, Norsemen got down to business and took the early lead. Pressure down the left side, on an obvious weakness at right back, lead to a Luc Coiffait long throw to an unmarked Andy Grant at the far post to nod home. This came not long after Larry Laniyan managed to miss a 2 yard header moments after kick off!Laniyan's afternoon was looking as though it would be a series (and I mean a SERIES) of near misses until Thenesh Naathen pounced from deep in his own half. Having dispossessed the opposition, Naathen hared off downfield behind the defence to cross to the wide open Laniyan on the 6 yard box who scuffed home and double the Norsemen lead.The third goal would be crucial to either team and for once this season it was the Norse who got it. Half time substitution Marco Asaro slotting past the goalkeeper after good work from second half sub Matt Rogers. Rogers was perhaps unlucky not to have a second assist when Grant rose to head an exquisite cross over the bar.More frustration was to come for Grant when a further header was blocked on the line...this time from Laniyan's backside! (Not a good way to impress your skipper Larry)Tom Collier by this stage was feeling left out and there was just enough time to entice a booking or two out of the opposition by winding them up, known to fellow Norsemen as Collier being Collier. He even managed to keep his record intact of not keeping a clean sheet by being suspiciously close to the play when Esthameians scored off the last kick of the day.At times the football may not have been the prettiest, with many an opportunity spurned, but the end result is what mattered and is a testament to the continuing spirit despite the torrid season. Next week is an Ally Pally double header at home where a surprise result (or two) could well be the tonic to see the Norse remain in the division. Dare to dream? Walk tall you blue giants.

In what was one of the most difficult weeks for the Norsemen 1st XI and Res XI squads selection wise (18 players unavailable across the two squads), the Reserves came away with a morale boosting away win.With 11 players on the team sheet things were further strained when two players failed to arrive in time for KO, forcing 9 men to line up in battle for 15 minutes. With the wind and sun at the Norsemen backs the 9 men worked exceptionally well to shutdown any attacks, filtering off players and forcing any attacks to come from width. Chances were even created at the attacking end with good play down the wings earning many throw-in's where Luc Coiffait was able to unleash his long throw, Michael Herbert and Andy Grant going close to opening the scoring. Upon evening the playing numbers at 11, it wasn't long before Norsemen hit the front and it was no great surprise it came from a set piece. Once more a throw was earned on the right where Coiffait found Grant who flicked on to the back post where a waiting Dan Cairrao volleyed the ball into the roof of the net. A one nil lead that was very much deserved. Shout out goes to Cairrao who dedicated his rare goal to his watching mother.The second half became more of a battle for Norsemen, who despite having the odd opportunity, failed to land the killer blow and settle the match. It became a battle of wills as well as footballing ability as Thenesh Naathen managed to get under the skin of just about every striker Lloyds put on the pitch. Tensions flared further as Cass Weaver cleared a ball all the way to New Zealand when only 5 metres from the sideline. It was however to be Norsemen's day and they held out for a long overdue win and clean sheet to boot. With next weekends opponents Old Esthameians also getting the points this weekend, the win was not enough to move Norsemen off the foot of the ladder but certainly tightened things up and kept relegation at arms length. 3 points at Esthameians would certainly be a good tonic and go a long way towards boosting Norsemen to safety. Walk tall you Blue Giants.

Norsemen got a towelling this weekend by a very good, table topping, Old Garchonians team that capitalised on any mistake presented to them. Seven goals was in truth a bit flattering for Garchonians as Norsemen, despite struggling to play any fluid football, were still in the contest at the hour mark. Two first half set piece goals conceded to corners hurt the Norsemen cause, the game plan being keep it tight heading uphill into the wind until halftime. However it wasn't until a perfectly delivered corner from Tom Collier was directed over the bar by Andy Grant that the tide fully turned and goals began to leak. Once the third was conceded soon after the miss it became open season on the Norsemen goal.Unfortunately heads went down at this stage and the morale soon followed. In the end the much better team won though reports from those who watch suggest it was closer than the score suggested - scant solace for those on the pitch. With an away game to Lloyds next week it will take a great show of character from the team to respond from this setback.

Norsemen travelled to the far reaches of West London to face a mid table BB Eagles side on a pitch that showed no ill effects of the recent weather problems - it was so good the football played deserved to showcase the best of what the two teams had on offer. Pity that player availability, or lack of, lead to players being recruited from everywhere - two of those recruited not showing up leaving Norsemen to start the match with 10 men. Things were further compounded when Eion Delahaye pulled up lame in the hamstring after only a few minutes. Rather than leaving the pitch he chose to fight on and became a touch and pass distribution player, even making two or three tackles on a couple of mugs who ran into him!As expected, eventually the numbers showed and BB Eagles were able to pull clear, 3 nil at the break was a fair reflection of their dominance. With only pride left to play for, Norsemen came out in the second half determined to enjoy the wind at their backs on one of London's allocation of 7 sunny days for the year. Their efforts were rewarded when trialist Luc Coffiat rose at the near post to flick in a corner, nothing more than was deserved after a period where 10 men were every bit the equal of 11. Unfortunately a further goal was conceded meaning the half was only drawn, but every player to a man could be proud of the effort put in. It is a real shame that it is proving so difficult to get 13/14 regular players willing to do this week in week out. With 10 matches remaining it is imperative players make themselves available as often as possible to scrap a way out of the hole that has been dug.

Norsemen let an opportunity slip in their first game since December against a fellow relegation threatened team.After absorbing early pressure from Bank of England, Norsemen hit the front when Roland Hunt burst through to slip his shot past the keeper only to see it lose speed on the extremely wet surface down the Grocers End. Luckily, on hand were two Norsemen to fight over who got the tap in with Larry Laniyan winning the race over Marco Asaro to open the scoring. The match settled into a bit of a dogfight for the rest of the half with few real chances being made until right before the halftime whistle, Laniyan made his size count with a bullocking run before Michael Herbert eventually fired home to make the halftime score 2 nil to Norsemen.The halftime talk centred around continuing to press and to kill the game with a third goal. If it didn't happen plan B was to ensure the game was not lost, with getting goal-side of the man immediately after losing possession the main objective. Norsemen should've been talking about plans C, D, and E, as 20 minutes in the scores were locked up at 2 all.Having had 8 weeks off football the last 25 minutes were always going to be a real test of character with fitness levels very obviously starting to fade. Norsemen were very much now relying on counter attacking football and were doing so quite effectively, Laniyan scoring his second to regain the lead with 20 minutes remaining. One or two further opportunities to ice the game went begging through over-hit final passes or poor technique on the shot, and Norsemen would eventually pay for this wastefulness.The final 10 minutes became one way traffic with an equalizer scored followed by a goal JJ will feel he should have done better with to see Norsemen behind 3 4. The 5th was conceded with everyone pressing forward chasing the game and only really served to rub salt into open wounds. In the end fitness levels were probably the key factor in this match as Bank of England had been lucky enough to have a few fixtures under the belt. It will be very important to have players available to get consistency in selection and fitness levels up to have a chance of fighting off back to back relegations.On a side note - it was good to see prolific scorer in past seasons Ross Davis back on board, he added a creative spark and link between midfield and strikers that certainly troubled the Bank of England defences.

Norsemen travelled to Old Garchonians in search of some points to lift them from the bottom of the table at the Christmas break. Garchonians had reason to be up for the game also as a win would see them leading the table into the new year.

Unfortunately the day didn’t start well for Norsemen with travel problems on the train lines and a no show ensuring that only 9 people warmed up prior to 11 people making KO. It got worse after 10mins when Norsemen lost Marco for the match with a knee injury.

Garchonians started strong and put Norsemen under immediate pressure. Wave after wave was thwarted before Norsemen got any semblance of possession. It was probably a good 20 minutes before Norsemen really settled into the match and began going blow for blow with their opposition, the best chances coming once again from getting in behind on the wings and whipping in crosses. However after a tensely fought half Norsemen were perhaps the happier being nil all at the half.

The second half didn't start well with Norsemen conceding possession in midfield and conceding the lead from the ensuing break. It was a sloppy goal to concede and heads were in danger of dropping after the first half’s good work was all but undone.

That didn’t happen and it was Norsemen who after holding their own for the second half were pressing for the equalizer late in the match. The last 15 mins was played 3 4 3 and showed the type of spirit and play that totally belies Norsemen’s current table position.

Unfortunately it wasn’t enough to take points from this match as Garchonians held on for all 3 points but heading into the new year Norsemen must begin to have the belief they can get results from this league to pull themselves out of trouble.

Norsemen slipped back to the bottom of the table with a disappointing 3 - 4 loss to Old Stationers.The bad old days had returned when only 2 players were on time for the meet at the clubhouse and others were still arriving 7 minutes before kickoff. This then fed into the attitude on the park with a poor first half performance.

After soaking up a strong Stationers start it was actually Norsemen who took the lead when a poor Tom Collier cross (he claims he meant in and/or it bobbled) found its way directly into the net. That makes it 4 goals this season for Collier nearing the Christmas break. He is becoming a constant on going source of problems for the opposition.

In fact for a spell Norsemen had some pressure building and some opportunities to pull further ahead, Andy Grant especially wasteful with a free header inside the box. Things would get worse though as a mix up with JJ in goal saw a Grant header picked up by a Stationer striker to tap home. 2 minutes prior to the break and a second was conceded when slack marking saw Stationers in behind the defence on the break. Grant did the hard work in cover to stay on his feet for 3 cut backs but bit on the fourth to present the striker with an opportunity he wouldn't miss.

1 - 2 down at the break and the half time conversation wasn't of the errors but of the lack of hunger present in the play. If this was remedied Norsemen would find themselves back in the game soon enough.Unfortunately it was some more slack midfield marking combined with little desire to chase everything down that saw Stationers move 1 - 3 up shortly after half time.

This spurred Norsemen into action, and with the hunger now evident, goals followed from Marco Asaro and Larry Laniyan, the first from a sweeping move and a cross along the deck from the left (Hi Dan) and the second from some good pressing play.

Just when it looked like a stalemate, a clanger in goal saw a free kick go though the hands of JJ and the points lost.

A tough pill to swallow but maybe an education in time keeping. Turn up on time and play with intensity and we wouldn't have had the problems we did.

Norsemen picked up 3 points today with a 2 1 win over Esthameians playing some very attractive first half football. In what was possibly the best half of footy to date, Norsemen opened the scoring through a Cass Weaver strike which was quickly followed by Michael Herbert with his second for the year. Both goals came from the left side where Tom Collier was enjoying his role further forward as a result of having a left back in the team. Good interplay between Collier, Dan Williams, Weaver and Roland Hunt, who put in another superb performance, had Esthameians on the back foot on many occasions and it was only some overplaying inside the area that saw Norsemen fail to score more before the break. (Weaver missed from 2 yards at best!)

The second half had a different look to it with Esthameians gaining some parity. It was still Norsemen who had the better opportunities to kill the game off with Williams and Collier missing with very good chances. With 20 minutes to go the score became 2 1 when an Esthameians player was allowed to dribble unchecked into the box through a host of players before slotting passed Dave Stephenson in goal. It was the first real lapse for the Norsemen defense and was costly as it raised the opposition confidence.

Confidence that got boosted further when Stephenson was sent of for retaliating to an off the ball kick that went unseen by the referee. No matter what was or wasn't seen, it was not the right way to respond in the situation and placed the team under more undue pressure. With the difficulties we have faced this season the last thing we need is to bring it on ourselves like that.

In what was a frantic final 10 minutes, Collier stepped up in goal and was also the subject of an off the ball elbow that went unseen. Tempers flared further when Esthameians challenged at the drop ball, enhancing frictions between these two teams which go back a few years.

A last ditch tackle where Collier forgot he could use his hands and a clearance saw the final whistle and a jubilant Norsemen climb off the foot of the ladder with the 3 points gained. A win but a win which should have been slightly more comfortable. Bring on Old Stationers next week where back to back wins beckon.

Norsemen Two's came within a whisker of gaining a well earned point against the league leaders Crouch End Vampires on Saturday, and truth be told, should feel more than slightly disappointed not to do so.After being put ahead through an Aydin Tayfur first half bicycle kick, as a result of a headed flick on from Mark Sarfo, Norsemen let the half time lead slip by conceding a second half penalty and dropping their guard at the death to go down 2 1. It was a cruel finish to a very committed performance from 11 men who were once again let down by a no show.

Injuries to Collier, Grant and Sarfo - all picked up in the first half - and with many others battered and bruised, meant that it was always going to be an uphill struggle on a very uneven surface. Passing moves were rare but Norsemen did look very good countering down the flanks and getting balls across the box, especially from the left where runners were coming late from the right. On the defensive side, the midfield was up against it with size and experience against them and the physical battles were all seemingly going Crouch Ends way early (despite Dean Bartup being recalled!) .

Norsemen grew into the game however and were deserved leaders at the half 1 nil.

The second half was all Crouch End though. Wave after wave poured forward with Norsemen doing well to mask the injuries and scramble the ball away on many occasions. Despite the constant pressure, opportunities were slim and the pressure to capitalize began to tell on a few Crouch End players with the physical nature of the game spilling over to spite in some instances. Indeed, for all the Crouch End pressure, it was Norsemen who should have iced the game when a Dan Williams square ball was parried into a lunging Tayfun's path. He managed a touch but only wide of the post and an opportunity had passed.

Unfortunately, it came to be that a marking lapse moments from time ensured that Norsemen would go home empty handed but on the back of last weeks win this close match was definitely needed to continue to build the confidence needed going forward. A week off now and with other activities and long term injuries easing, it is hoped that a good run can be put in with a few more points picked up prior to Christmas.